Identification documents (hereafter “ID documents”) play a critical role in today's society. ID documents are used on a daily basis—to prove identity, to verify age, to access a secure area, to evidence driving privileges, and/or to cash a check, and so on.
Airport security has increased. Passengers are now required to show an ID document during check in, security screening, and prior to boarding their flight.
We also live in an ever-evolving cashless society. ID documents can be used to make payments, access an ATOM, debit an account, or make a payment, etc.
(For the purposes of this disclosure, the use of the terms “identification document” and “ID document” is intended to include at least all types of ID documents. Note that the terms “document,” “card,” “badge” and “documentation” are used interchangeably herein. In addition, ID documents are broadly defined herein and include (but are not limited to), documents, magnetic disks, credit cards, bank cards, phone cards, passports, driver's licenses, network access cards, employee badges, debit cards, security cards, visas, immigration documentation, national ID cards, citizenship cards, social security cards and badges, certificates, identification cards or documents, voter registration cards, police ID cards, border crossing cards, security clearance badges and cards, gun permits, badges, gift certificates or cards, membership cards or badges, tags, CD's, consumer products, knobs, keyboards, electronic components, etc., or any other suitable items or articles that may record information, images, and/or other data, which may be associated with a function and/or an object or other entity to be identified.)
The ID document counterfeiter remains surprisingly resourceful. Improvements are needed to stay ahead of the counterfeiter. One counterfeiting technique involves a de-lamination attack. Consider an ID document that includes a printed substrate covered by a laminate layer. A de-lamination attack removes the laminate layer, sometimes with the aid of heat, to access information printed on the substrate. Once revealed, the counterfeiter can alter the printed information and reuse the substrate or laminate.
Some ID documents are susceptible to this type of attack. Consider the ID document including a substrate, ink applied to the substrate (or laminate layer) to convey information and a laminate layer covering the ink and substrate. Conventional inks generally include a strong adhesion to either a document substrate or to a laminate. A counterfeiter can use this design characteristic (adhesion) to his advantage. Upon de-lamination, the ink may adhere to the substrate layer or to a laminate layer. Regardless, the printed information is typically preserved on at least one layer and may be used again. (For example, if the ink adheres to a laminate, the counterfeiter can reuse the laminate. Or if the ink adheres to the substrate, the counterfeiter can perhaps alter the information by applying additional ink, or simply reuse the remaining information on the substrate.).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,695, herein incorporated by reference, discloses an identification document designed to help deter intrusion attempts. With reference to FIG. 1, an image-receiving element 10 includes a support 12, a polymeric security layer 14 including printing, and an image-receiving layer 16. The polymeric security layer 14 is designed such that its cohesively is less than its adhesivity for each layer that is contiguous thereto (layers 16 and 12b). A printed security pattern 18 is hopefully destroyed (into pieces 18a and 18b) through partitioning of the security layer 14 during an attempted de-lamination of the image-receiving layer 16 from the image-receiving element 12b (see FIG. 2).
The present invention provides improvements and efficiencies over the prior art. According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide ink that is designed to include about the same degree of adhesion to both a substrate layer and to a laminate layer. The adhesion strength is preferably greater than the cohesion strength of the ink. The security ink can be applied in a pattern. Upon de-lamination, the pattern is destroyed, e.g., preferably in an unpredictable manner, since the ink adheres to both the laminate and substrate. (We sometimes refer to this type of ink as “cohesive de-lamination ink,” “cohesive failure ink,” or “cohesively failing ink.”). The de-laminated substrate will generally include part of the ink pattern, while the other part of the pattern generally remains with the laminate. Realigning the pattern is terribly difficult. An advantage of this inventive aspect is, e.g., that the ink itself exhibits the adhesive and cohesive characteristics, without relying on an additional layer, reducing the cost of an ID document. Other advantages in some implementations may include, e.g., improved water resistance, heat intrusion resistance and improved adhesion.
An inventive aspect of one implementation is to provide cohesive failure ink in intertwined or complementary patterns. Consider a staircase or double helix pattern. If a de-lamination attack is made on a document including such interlocking patterns arranged with cohesive failing ink, cohesive failing ink cohesively de-laminates. Reusing the laminate and/or substrate is nearly impossible since the interlocking structure is extremely difficult to realign.
According to still another aspect of the invention, we provide cohesively failing ink in first and second adjacent areas on an ID document. The ink in the first area includes a first color pigment, while the ink in the second area includes a second color pigment. The adjacently provided colors preferably cooperate, perhaps forming an interlocking pattern or border. The human eye is sensitive to color and contrast changes. If an attempt is thereafter made to reattach a de-laminated substrate and laminate, overlap or unexpected spacing between originally adjacent areas of color pigments will typically become apparent.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an identification document is provided to include a core (or substrate) having a top surface and a bottom surface; a top over-laminate is adjacently provided with the core top surface; and ink is provided on a surface of the core (or over-laminate). The ink is characterized by including substantially the same degree of adhesion to both the core and to the over-laminate. The adhesion of the ink to the core and the adhesion of the ink to the top laminate are each relatively stronger than a cohesive strength of the ink.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention a method of making a tamper-resistant identification document is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a core including a top surface; providing ink deposited on the core top surface; and providing a top over-laminate in contact with the ink and core top surface. The ink is characterized by having relatively lower cohesion strength as individually compared to each of an adhesion strength between the ink and over-laminate and an adhesion strength between the ink and the core.
Another aspect of the present invention is an identification document including a substrate having a first word printed thereon in first ink, and a laminate having a second word, which comprises the first word, printed thereon. The second word is spatially shifted with respect to the first word, and is printing with optical variable ink. The shifting is preferably slight, so as to create a shading effect for the first word when the second word reflects light.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a method of providing security for an identification document. The document includes a substrate and a laminate. The method includes the steps of: providing the substrate or laminate to receive ink thereon, and providing optical variable ink in a first location on the substrate or laminate. The optical variable ink includes a first component that reflects light at a first viewing angle, and a second component that reflects light at a second viewing angle. The optical variable ink is provided such that when the first component is active the second component is passive.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become even more apparent with reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Of course, the drawings are not necessarily presented to scale, with emphasis rather being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate like elements.